CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced that Wartburg College men’s cross country runner Joe Freiburger (Holy Cross, Iowa/Western Dubuque) and Loras College women’s cross country runner Kassie Parker (Guttenberg, Iowa/Clayton Ridge) have been named American Rivers Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, November 1, 2021. The Conference also announced Performers of the Week in men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s and women’s soccer, and volleyball. Female Athlete of the Week - Women’s Cross Country – Runner of the Week
Kassie Parker, Loras College
Sr., Guttenberg, Iowa/Clayton Ridge

• Parker took home the women’s individual title at the 2021 A-R-C Championships with a time of 20:43.0 in the 6,000-meter race, defeating the second-place finisher by nearly one minute 30 seconds.
• Her time broke the Luther College Course Record that she set a year prior by nearly one minute.
• No. 35-ranked Loras finished in second with a score of 62.
• Over the course of the regular season, Parker won three out of the four races for the Duhawks.
• Parker broke the A-R-C record in the 6,000-meter race with a time of 20:10.9 on Oct. 16 at the Lewis & Clark Invitational in Portland, Oregon.
• Parker is a two-time All-American, four-time All-Conference performer, and two-time Academic All-Conference honoree.
• This is the Guttenberg, Iowa native’s thirteenth Runner of the Week honor (11/1/21, 10/18/21, 10/4/21, 9/20/21, 9/13/21, 10/26/20, 10/13/20, 9/28/20, 9/14/20, 10/21/19, 10/7/19, 9/23/19, 9/2/19).

Male Athlete of the Week – Men’s Cross Country – Runner of the Week
Joe Freiburger, Wartburg College
Sr., Holy Cross, Iowa/Western Dubuque

• Freiburger won the 2021 A-R-C men’s individual title with a time of 25:04.3 in the 8,000-meter race, outpacing teammate Christopher Collet by almost seven seconds.
• His time broke the Luther College Course Record.
• This year’s title is Freiburger’s third-consecutive A-R-C individual title.
• Freiburger finished the 2021, winning two of the three races for the Knights.
• The No. 1-ranked Knights won their fourth-consecutive A-R-C Championship with a dominant score of 20.
• Freiburger is a four-time All-Conference performer and three-time Conference MVP.
• The Holy Cross, Iowa native is collecting his twelfth career Runner of the Week honor (11/1/21, 10/18/21, 10/4/21, 11/9/20, 10/26/20, 10/13/20, 9/28/20, 9/14/20, 11/3/19, 10/21/19, 9/23/19, 9/9/19).

Football – Offensive Player of the Week
Brandon Kyles, Buena Vista University
So., QB, Richmond, Texas/B.F. Terry

• Kyles led the Beavers to a 24-20 victory over Wartburg College.
• The sophomore accounted for all three touchdowns, two passing, one rushing.
• The sophomore completed 18-of-29 passes leading to 217 passing yards.
• Kyles led the Beaver offense to 409 yards of total offense.
• Buena Vista improved their record to 5-3 overall and 4-2 in league play.
• The Richmond, Texas native is collecting his second-career Offensive Player of the Week honor (11/1/21, 10/18/21).

Football – Defensive Player of the Week
Manny Lopez, Coe College
Sr., LB, Arlington, Texas/Arlington

• Lopez helped the Kohawks to a 34-27 victory over University of Dubuque.
• The senior posted 12 tackles, one fumble recovery, one interception, and one pass break up.
• His interception secured the win for the Kohawks.
• Coe improved their record to 6-2 overall and 4-2 in league play.
• The Arlington, Texas native is garnering his first-career Defensive Player of the Week honor.

Football – Special Teams Player of the Week
Ramon Garcia, Buena Vista University
Jr., K, Denison, Iowa/Denison-Schleswig

• Garcia helped the Beavers to a 24-20 victory over Wartburg College.
• He was 3-of-3 on PATs and made a 27-yard FG in the third quarter.
• The junior moved into second in program history with 35 PATs made.
• Garcia broke Buena Vista’s single season record of PAT attempts and now sits at 41.
• The Beavers are now 5-3 overall and 4-2 in league play.
• The Denison, Iowa native is collecting his third-career Special Teams Player of the Week honor (11/1/21, 10/18/21, 9/13/21).

Men’s Soccer – Defensive Player of the Week
Alan Imamovic, Simpson College
Jr., D, Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale

• Imamovic helped lead the Storm to a 4-0 win over Nebraska Wesleyan.
• The junior had one assist against the Prairie Wolves.
• Simpon’s Imamovic played a total of 88 minutes.
• The Storm have had three shutout games in a row and earned their highest tournament seeding since 2001.
• In the semi-final round of the conference tournament, the Storm will face the Loras College Duhawks.
• The Urbandale, Iowa native is collecting his first-career Defensive Player of the Week honor.

Men’s Soccer – Offensive Player of the Week
Juan Jose Arias Mondragon, Loras College
Sr., F, Cali, Colombia/Colegio Bolivar

• Arias Mondragon helped lead the Duhawks to a 2-0 week in conference play, advancing them to the American Rivers Conference Tournament.
• In the 2-0 win over Coe, the senior tallied one game winning goal.
• The senior tallied one more game winning goal in the Duhawks double overtime win (3-2) over Nebraska Wesleyan.
• Loras’ Arias Mondragon played a total of 122 minutes in the two conference wins.
• In the semifinal round of the conference tournament, the Duhawks will face the Simpson College Storm.
• The Colombia native is collecting his first-career Offensive Player of the Week accolade.

Women’s Soccer – Defensive Player of the Week
Maddie Hays, Simpson College
Fr., D, Erie, Colo./Erie

• Hays helped lead the Storm to another 2-0 week and their first postseason victory since 2011.
• She helped the Storm to their seventh shutout of the regular season against Nebraska Wesleyan (4-0).
• The freshman went 2-for-2 in penalty kick attempts against Central in the first round of the  A-R-C tournament.
• In the 82^nd minute, Hays scored on her first penalty kick bringing the Storm to overtime.
• Storm’s freshman scored on her second penalty kick to win 2-1 over the Dutch.
• Hays tallied 183 total minutes played this week.
• In the semifinal round of the conference tournament, the Storm will face the Wartburg College Knights.
• The Erie native is earning her first-career Defensive Player of the Week accolade.

Women’s Soccer – Offensive Player of the Week
Emily Perhats, Loras College
Sr., F, Cary, Ill./Prairie Ridge

• Perhats helped lead the No.9 Duhawks to a 4-0 win against Coe to finish the regular season.
• The senior tallied one assist and one goal bringing her to five goals on the season.
• She played a total of 41 minutes in the matchup against Coe.
• The Duhawks recorded the program’s first undefeated regular season.
• In the semifinal round of the conference tournament, the Duhawks will face the Luther College Norse.
• The Cary native is earning her first-career Offensive Player of the Week honor.

Volleyball – Defensive Player of the Week
Krystal Tranel, Loras College
Gr., L, Kieler, Wis./Wahlert Catholic

• Tranel helped lead the Duhawks to a 3-1 week, with wins over Monmouth (Ill.) 3-0, Ripon (3-0) and Elmhurst (3-0) and a lost to Wisconsin Lutheran (3-2).
• The graduate student posted 96 digs in 14 sets played this week, averaging 6.86 digs per set.
• Loras’ Tranel put up a season-best 40 digs in a five-set showdown against Wisconsin Lutheran.
• The Loras libero recorded no ball handling errors in their four contests.
• Tranel is a 2018 All-Conference honoree and 2020 (Spring 2021) All-Conference Honorable Mention.
• The Kieler, Wis. native is picking up her third-career Defensive Player of the Week accolade (11/1/21, 10/25/21, 10/14/19).

Volleyball – Offensive Player of the Week
Sydney McLaren, Buena Vista University
Sr., OH, Council Bluffs, Iowa/St. Albert

• McLaren helped the Beavers to a 3-2 win over Simpson after trailing to the Storm 2-0.
• The senior outside hitter recorded a team high 22 kills, hitting .265.
• She tallied 13 digs, earning her 12^th double-double this year.
• The senior had no ball handling errors in the contest.
• Beuna Vista’s McLaren finished her career with 973 kills and 907 digs.
• The Council Bluffs, Iowa native is picking up her second-career Offensive Player of the Week accolade (11/1/21, 10/7/19).